Child of Ice
by GhostStone
Summary: After a successful battle on Jotunheim, Odin stumbles upon an abandoned child and gains a second son.


The battle had finally come to an end several hours previously, and with it, perhaps the war. With the capture of the Casket of Ancient Winters, the Frost Giants had all fled the city into the hills to escape the army, and Odin suspected that, come morning, the king would be willing to discuss a treaty. Worried there might be some desperate attempt to steal back the Casket, Odin had sent it ahead back to Asgard with three of his most trusted warriors to be brought to the vault for protection.

Odin was walking alone, having desired some time to think. As he passed by the palatial temple of the Frost Giants, Odin stopped, turning his head slightly to try to hear more that the howling of the frigid wind. There was a faint sound coming from the temple. It wasn't alarming—not a hidden force of Frost Giants—but almost animal sound to his ears. Deciding to investigate, and curious about the inside of the temple that the Jotun warriors had fought so hard to protect, Odin entered the icy temple, following the noise until he came to a dark, unused corner.

Shock and a bit of fury filled Odin as he saw the source of the pitiful whining noise. Laying naked on the icy floor of the temple without even a blanket was a tiny infant, its red eyes filled with fear and pain. Odin was unfamiliar with Frost Giant children as he had only glimpsed several, and their parents were very protective of them, but even he could see this child was not healthy. It was clearly weakened—dying—Odin realized, and the haphazard way it was lying without and comfort or protection implied abandonment. That was surprising due to the attitude of the Jotun towards protecting their children yet also unsurprising as the baby boy was clearly some sort of runt. Frost Giants abhorred weakness of any kind, and he suspected that was what this child had appeared to them—weak.

The child did not seem to even have the strength to cry properly. As he stared down at the infant, Odin realized that before he had become a father, he might have thought nothing of this child, leaving him to his fate, but Thor had changed him. For the better, he acknowledged. Thor had inspired him to be a better king and a better man. Unable to bear the child's whimpering any more, he took off his cape and swaddled the babe, taking care not to make contact with its skin. But the child did not seem to give off the burning cold that the adults did—surprising enough that he risked brushing the skin of the boy's forehead with the back of his hand to check. The boy's skin was as cold as ice, but it did not hurt him like the other frost giants' skin would. "What do I do with you?" He murmured quietly, staring down into the infant's face. Suddenly a noise of ice on ice caused him to turn and he raised his spear, ready to kill whoever had stumbled upon him. He froze when he met the crimson eyes of yet another small frost giant. The Jotun in front of him was also clearly only a child despite being almost as tall as Odin's shoulder, and there was terror on his face. The newcomer looked about ready to cry and Odin thought he could barely be older than Thor. He lowered his weapon, looking curiously at the child. He had never had the chance to meet a young frost giant before, and now tonight he had met two already. "What are you doing here?" Odin asked quietly.

The child in front of him bit his lip before his eyes went to the bundle in Odin's arms. "That's my brother. I snuck back into the city to see him." He answered in a whisper. "Father left him out to die, but…" The boy looked up with teary eyes. "Are you going to kill us?"

"No." Odin answered without hesitation, surprising himself at the immediate honesty, but he could not threaten this child without seeing Thor. "I have a son about your age, and I would never hurt a baby."

The boy looked uncertain. "You're the King." He said warily. "Father is the King here, and he wouldn't hesitate to kill _your_ son if he could." Odin's eyes widened, both at the information that this was the prince of the realm and at the slight condemnation toward Laufey's ways so young. It was admittedly unwise for the boy to have exposed his parentage—he would make a great prisoner and bargaining tool, but Odin could not bring himself to take advantage of the child's naivety, especially not when the Frost Giants were already beaten so thoroughly. He did not need any more advantages in writing the treaty. Capturing this child could only create more ill will.

"Well, I am different. Your brother is unwanted here. I will take him back to my people and find him a home."

"Good." The boy said, nodding in approval. "Can…can I at least say goodbye?"

Odin nodded and held out the infant to his brother. The young prince traced his brother's fine features before placing a sloppy, childish kiss of affection on the baby's forehead. Odin smiled. "What is his name?"

"Father forbid him to be named." The prince answered. "When…when no one was around to hear, I've been calling him Loki."

"Then he will be called Loki." Odin answered. "I must go now, before I am discovered, and you must leave before you are missed. Since I have spared you, I ask one favor." The boy looked up with determination. "When you are grown, do not forget this day. Remember that when you are king someday so that there might be amity between our people."

"I will. I promise." The boy said with assurance, making Odin smile at his childish pride. "Goodbye, King Odin. Please take care of Loki."

"Of course." Odin answered, pulling the bundled infant against his chest. He paused once more. "What will you tell your father of what has become of Loki?"

The child looked at Loki before looking up to meet Odin's eyes. "Father already believes him dead. That is safer for everyone. And he would punish me if he knew I've been visiting him. I will not tell him."

Odin spared the prince a smile before calling for Heimdall to bring him home. As he walked the rainbow bridge, he kept the infant hidden, glad that the child had fallen quiet, until he returned to his chambers where he and Frigga slept. It was likely that Thor was already in bed. A Odin walked to his chambers, he considered the chld in his arms. Abandoned or not, Loki was a prince of Jotunheim. A faint glimmer of hope filled him. Perhaps in the future, when he was grown, Loki could help end the tension between the two races.

Odin opened the door to his rooms, his eyes immediately searching out Frigga. His wife looked him over once, clearly looking for visible injuries, but then immediately frowned at him, not rushing to greet him as was usual. "What are you hiding, Odin?"

He gave her a shameless smile, but then shifted and offered the cape to her. Her eyes widened as she beheld the tiny blue infant wrapped up in red. "This is Loki. He was abandoned to die. I know it was not my problem, but I couldn't just leave him there." Frigga gave him a look as if this were obvious. Her fingers hovered over the newborn's face. "You can touch him. He is cold, but his skin does not burn." She nodded and immediately began to examine the child carefully, trailing her fingers across the swirling patterns that covered his skin. His eyes opened and he stared at her with bright red eyes and then made a soft, almost curious sound.

"Hello to you to." She said with a laugh, gently examining the boy's tiny fingers and toes. "You are not much different from one of us, are you?" As she continued to interact with the child, Odin related to her the story of how he had found him. "Loki." Frigga murmured. The boy's eyes were fixed intently on her, and then to the shock of both her and Odin, Loki's features transformed before their eyes, his hair becoming dark and his skin paler and more pinkish until he fully resembled an Aesir. His eyes were a startling shade of green. In fact, he was almost mirroring Frigga's features in his own transformed ones. "Magic." She breathed. "Such a gifted child too to possess such powers so young." She began to cast spells that Odin did not recognize over the boy, causing Odin to frown in confusion. "I am binding him to this form. He will still be able to transform if he wills it, but this will be his main form." She stroked the child's cheek again before looking up at Odin. "Did anyone see you with him?"

"Only Heimdall."

She smiled. "Then no one would have to know his heritage." She looked up to Odin with a hopeful expression. "We could pretend he was ours. With the war, no one would question why we concealed a pregnancy—especially with how difficult Thor's birth was."

"You wish to keep him as our own?" Odin asked, looking at the boy. He knew that Frigga had always hoped for many children—especially a daughter to teach the secrets of magic to, but Thor's birth had nearly killed her, and they hadn't dared to try to have another child. Loki seemed like the fulfillment of her dreams. Perhaps he was not the daughter she desired, but his powers were clearly impressive, and he seemed a sweet child. "We would have to create a story, and one of the healers will have to be brought in on it." He chuckled. "Thor will be thrilled."

Frigga's eyes lit with amusement at the thought. "Poor Loki." Thor was not known for his gentleness with other children, though he had a good heart and never intended harm. Odin reached out to touch the child's hand. It was now warm to the touch. It seemed that the child's magic had changed him not only in appearance.

"It will be good for Thor to have a brother—an equal. He needs someone to challenge him and push back."

The queen nodded in agreement. Thor had realized that he had some authority over the servants and over others and was learning how to use it. The other children he played with all admired him, and though still very young, Frigga agreed with Odin that Thor needed an equal. Loki could be that for him, and Loki would gain a new older brother for the one he no longer had. She was still intently watching the baby in her arms. Loki seemed content enough, observing his surroundings with a silent fascination. Frigga couldn't help but wonder how much he could understand. He was clearly recently born—perhaps only weeks old even. Now that his appearance was changed, he seemed even younger than she would have guessed previously. Still, his eyes were bright and seemed to focus on things for brief moments. One of his hands had reached up to latch firmly onto a lock of Frigga's hair, his grip strong and unrelenting. The realization that this child was to become an integral part of their lives suddenly struck her. "Our son." She breathed softly, a note of awe in her voice.

"Our son." Odin echoed just as softly, wrapping his arms around his wife and the child she held. The logistics of the situation could all be figured out in the morning, but at the moment, he was content to bask in the happiness of his wife and to think on the new son that had claimed a place in their lives.


End file.
